Asthma is a chronic condition that causes the lungs to swell, restricting someone’s ability to breathe. While anyone can develop this disease, it’s more common in children than adults, affecting around 1 in 12 children. Depending on its severity, childhood asthma can be managed with medication or exercise, but there may come a time when your child requires pediatric care. Here is everything you should know about identifying and treating asthma in children.

A Guide to Childhood Asthma

Early Signs

Some common warning signs of childhood asthma include serious coughing fits, wheezing, shallow breathing, and a tight chest. These symptoms tend to worsen when the child is exercising, stressed, suffering from allergies, or recovering from a cold or the flu.

When children first display signs of asthma, their symptoms can easily be mistaken for other respiratory illnesses such as a cough or pneumonia. Unlike other conditions, however, asthma symptoms tend to last for extended periods of time.

Asthma Management

If a pediatric care provider diagnoses your child with asthma, they’ll prescribe a unique management plan to address specific patterns and symptoms.

In mild cases, keeping the lungs healthy through regular physical activity, avoiding triggers, and taking rescue inhaler medication can prevent asthma attacks.

If the condition is severe, your child may require daily medication to curb symptoms. When coughing flare-ups turn into asthma attacks, you may need to use a nebulizer to open their airways.

When to See a Doctor

Following your child’s prescribed management plan usually prevents asthma attacks from becoming serious, but there are cases when they may require immediate pediatric care to aid breathing. Seek an urgent care provider if your child is experiencing frequent coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath. Shallow inhalation, abdominal breathing, widened nostrils, or extreme fatigue may also indicate severe breathing problems, so visit an emergency care clinic.

If your child is having trouble breathing in Orange Beach, AL, visit Orange Beach Walk-In Medical Care for immediate pediatric care. Taking patients without an appointment, this emergency care clinic can provide a swift diagnosis for any condition, treat minor illnesses and injuries, perform surgeries, and direct you to specialists as required. Visit them online to learn about their services, or call (251) 964­-7425 to schedule an appointment.